Automobile speed controller



April 21, 1925.

H. C. HILL AUTOMOBILE SPEED CONTROLLER Original Filed 24, 1923 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

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Application filed January za'ieeaserial no, 614,669. Renewed .Tanuary 9,1925.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY C. HILL, a citizen of the United States, "residing at the city of Cincinnati, in the "coun'ty'of'Hamilton and State of Ohio, have in'k'entedcen tain new and useful Improvements in'Automobile Speed Controllers, of which-the following is a specification.

lriy invention relates to that classoffspe'ed controllers for automobiles which "operate by automatically grounding the l -p'r'imar'y circuit of the ignition system to thesparlr, plugs, when the predeterminedspeed of-automobile has been reached, and morepartio ularly to the switch or electrical terminal of such controllers. V The speed controller as a mechanism is fully described in U. S. Letters Patent issued to me December 13, 1921, Number 1,400,062 and in a pending application for patent serial Number 527,515, and need not be further described herein, excepting that it consists essentially of acentrifugal spring governor of a suitable typetaking motion from the running gear of the automobile.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1, shows a centrifugal'spring governor, or controller containing my improved terminal. Fig. 2 is a plan view Fig. 1. Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.

A, is the body or frame of a centrifugal spring controller to which my present improvement is applicable. B, the revolving mechanism consisting of a square shape B driven by a horizontal shaft and miter gears in the usual manner. At the lower end of the shape B is'rigidly, attached a hub or collar 6 carrying pivoted weighted arms 6 which expand and contract according to the speed of the shaft. Links 6 connect the weighted arms to a revolving sliding collar If, at the upper end of shaft B The collar revolves with and slides down and up on the square shaft as the speed of the shaft is increased or decreased. The centrifugal force of the controller is furnished by the revolving iivoted weighted arms b ,-and the centripetal or reacting force is furnished by the spiral b, which reacts between the fixed hub 5 and the sliding sleeve 6*.

Attached to the upper end of the collar 6 and integral therewith, is a disc C, which revolves and moves down and up with the sleeve, and when the automobile and correspondingly the controller has attained the limiting travel speed, tlie" 'ui'i dersi'de of'the disc 'C"'impinge"s "u on a friction rollerd, mounted "upon a' lever or terminal member Dpressing th'i's inember downwards until the points (Z make 'e'lectr'i'c'al"Contact and grounds the primary circuit of the ignition system, and suppresses the spark in'the engine cylinder.

The terniiii'al member is pivoted *to 'fthe frame ac d and isprovided with a-reaetion springd an tl an adjustable stoj d to innit the upwi rd travel o l-"reaction oft Mounted in the" bracket (6 at 'tl' e right sideof frafnieA, is an insui ted pluji'ige'r 6Z provided at the upper end with an "electrical terminal point ri and "at the blower and with look not "adjustment 2Z and a spiral reaction springd. rZ is""'a shell of insulatingmaterial as fiber, vulcanized rubher or "anysuitable material in which the plunger-"(k and spring d are mounted. The lock nuts also securethe clip oreye of the conductor E, the other end or wh-i-ch is attached to" a convenient-ground of the primary circuit.

The plun r" d%,'is 'madefy-i'elding to pressure fronrtlie "lever 10, "contact "points (5 by spring (13 in order that the controller may not be injured or the predetermined speed limit be altered by continued contact of the points (Z or pressure from the lever D, when the automobile from any cause is running at a higher speed than the predetermined speed for which the controller is adjusted.

The speed and speed limit is rated in miles per hour, and the revolutions of the travel wheels per mile will vary with their diameters, being more for Wheels of small diameter than for wheels of large diameter; consequently the revolutions of the controller will vary with the diameters of wheels, and adjustment must be provided to produce a given travel speed limit of the automobile for all wheel diameters.

This is accomplished by the adjustable stops and (Z and plunger 6Z By raising the stop (Z the proper amount and lowering the jam nuts d, and raising the plunger d, by reaction spring d, correspondingly, the speed limit will be adapted to the wheels of larger diameter, and by reverse action to wheels of smaller diameter. The sliding movement of the disc C, on the shaft B will accordingly be less for larger travel llll' wheels than it will be for smaller travel wheels. lhe controller is nominally adjusted to a wheel 33 inches diameter.

The action of the device is obvious from an inspection or" Fig. 1. The terminal member D, is pressed downwards by the revolving sliding disc C, and upwards by the reaction spring al and oscillates between the stop (1, and the upper end of the plunger (5*. When the electrical points 61 impinge by the downward movement of the terminal member, the primary ignition circuit is grounded, and the spark in the engine cylinders momentarily suppressed.

A slight reduction of speed causes the governor balls to contract the disc C, and lever D, to rise, and the electrical points (Z to separate, whereupon the ignition system is restored until such time as the speed limit is again reached and the described action of the parts C, D, and d", is repeated.

In former terminals for automatic speed controller for automobiles, where the electrical contact is made between a revolving sliding disc on the controller shaft, and an in sulated electrical grounding member, the spark caused by making and breaking contact of the disc and grounding member has fused and roughened the contact surfaces, increasing the wear and changing the predetermined speed limit to which the controller was adjusted. To overcome this objection the electrical contact points are made of a refractory alloy having some of the properties of platinum and placed as shown at 0Z one at the free end of the lever l), and

the other at the upper end of the plunger (P, so that as the point in the end of the lever impinges and recedes from the point in the plunger, electrical contact is made and broken, and sparking at the points will not injure them or change the adjusted speed limit of the controller.

Claim.

A. speed controller for automobiles comprising a frame, a centrifugal spring governor mounted and revolving in said frame, an oscillating lever pivoted at one end to said "frame and provided at the tree end with an electrical contact point, means controlled by the travel speed of the vehicle to depress said lever, means to raise said lever when the depressing means is retracted, means adjustable to limit the reaction oi" said oscillating lever, a resilient electrical contact member which is impinged and depressed by the contact point in the free end of said oscillating lever when the speed limit has been reached, said impinged contact member mounted in an ii'isulating shell and provided with a reciprocating plunger and reaction spring, means adjustable to limit the upward movement of said impinged contact member, and a conductor to connect said impinged member to a ground, whereby the current to the spark plugs is suppressed.

In testimony whereof, I allii; my signature at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 22nd day oi January, 1923.

HENRY C. HILL. 

